Classes

Course Description

The prevailing approach to policy analysis gives little attention to politics, yet public policies are defined through political processes, designed and implemented in the context of political institutions, and in turn shape politics and public life. This course examines how political scientists think about public policy, showcasing a variety of approaches that take politics seriously. The course focuses on American political institutions and the particular challenges and opportunities they present to the creation and development of public policies. It investigates policymaking processes and institutions, agenda setting, policy design, implementation, sustainability, and feedback.